Life After Death
by NoFangsAllowed
Summary: Bella and Edward are ready to start their new life together, once they are married. But when the Volturi visit, and things take a turn for the worst, what will happen to the couple's plans?
1. Chapter 1 Home Alone

This is the first chapter of our first fanfiction, Life After Death.

It's set a little bit after Eclipse, where Bella is still human. Enjoy!

**Disclaimer**: The Twilight series belongs to Stephenie Meyer :)

**Chapter One – ****Home Alone**

**BPOV**

It was one of those rare moments when it was just him and me. Edward and I. Together. Alone.

Alice, Rosalie and Esme had ran off – they had literally _ran _– to Seattle for some 'well-needed' clothes, even though their many wardrobes were stuffed full of designer outfits. Well, Alice's was anyway, I had seen from all of the times I had been subject to 'dress-up time', but I hadn't dared to look in _Rosalie's _wardrobe, even though we were getting closer to friendship every day.

Emmett, Jasper and Carlisle were out hunting for irritable grizzlies and mountain lions. I noticed the golden colour of Edward's eyes, and wondered why he had skipped going hunting with his brothers.

"Didn't you want to go hunting?" I asked, though I was more than happy that he had decided to stay with me instead of his brothers. I snuggled into his chest, revelling at the perfect sculpture who stood before me.

"Nope, I went hunting yesterday, so we could have the day together." He beamed down at me, running a hand through his tousled bronze hair, and I felt my face fall slightly. I didn't deserve him. He was far too good for someone so… human. So… normal.

I sighed. "What's wrong?" he asked, looking down at me with concern in his perfect, golden eyes. He put a finger under my chin so I was forced to look into his eyes.

"Nothing," I mumbled, removing his hand and taking it in my own. I ran my thumb up and down the flawless, marble texture. He was so real, and yet it felt like he could disappear in any moment, like the mythical creature he was.

Before I knew what was happening, I was in his arms, cradled against his stone chest. "Good," he said, grinning at my shocked expression. "Today's just for you and I, Miss Swan, soon to be Cullen." I grinned at the name. Bella Cullen. It didn't sound as bad as it had used to, what with my fear of marriage, and I was getting used to the sparkling ring which used to feel like it weighed a tonne on my finger. The term didn't make me feel as uncomfortable as it used to. I was even a little bit... excited.

In a flash I was up the stairs and placed gently on the huge golden bed which took up most of the space in Edward's room. He sat beside me, barely shaking the mattress, and with his hand still in my own.

"Impatient, are we?" I teased. "I may not be a vampire _yet_, but I can still walk, believe it or not." I figured that Edward was tired of going at a dull, human pace after the slow drive in my old truck. Edward had not been happy about allowing me to drive, but I was determined to get my own way. It was _my _turn after all.

"Not impatient, I just didn't want you falling down the stairs and hurting yourself. I can usually catch you, but with your bad luck, who knows what could happen? Carlisle's pretty far away, and we don't want to be at hospital again," he teased back, though I wasn't sure if he was really joking. I frowned. Stupid, overprotective boyfriend. I mean – _fiancé_.

He stared into my eyes intently, all traces of humour gone. I couldn't look away when his eyes held me like that; the butterscotch colour melted my insides and made my head spin.

As soon as he blinked I dropped my head and focused on the intricate patterns on the immense quilt, concentrating on how to breathe. _Inhale... Exhale... Inhale... Exhale..._

I grinned as a thought flew into my preoccupied mind. "What are you thinking?" Edward questioned, his brow furrowed as he tried to bore the answer out of me. It infuriated him that he couldn't read my thoughts like the rest of his family, but it made me feel oddly smug.

I found myself lost in his gaze again, unable to control my train of thought. "Uhm... I was wondering how, uh, Charlie would react to us being in your bedroom together, alone." I blushed suddenly, embarrassed that I had blurted out my thoughts again. It was impossible to keep my mind to myself when Edward was around, the words always came tumbling out. He didn't need to be a mind reader to find out what _I _was thinking. He just had to look at me to do that.

"Well, seeing as we're not up to anything less than virtuous, what with your newfound resolve to wait, I don't see how he could object. Unless you've changed your mind, of course?" He threw me a dazzling smile, tracing my lips with the tip of his little finger.

_Yes, I've changed my mind! _I yelled in my head. His cool skin left a trail of heat on mine. _Inhale... Exhale_, I reminded myself.

"No, I... I want to do this properly. Y'know."

"Of course," Edwards said in his smooth, velvety voice, making every cell in my body tingle and ache. It was like a physical pain, being with him, and yet being away from him for even one minute stabbed at my heart.

His lips touched mine, pressing into them softly, and I flopped back onto the bed. I had objected to this bed once, but I had to admit, it did come in useful at times. Kissing Edward was one of my favourite pastimes. I could feel Edward's hunger as he kissed me, almost as strong as my own. I longed to reach out to him, to hold him close to me, to pull him nearer, but I didn't think I would be able to let go, and I didn't want this to go too far. Not yet.

So I clenched my hands into tight fists and held them securely by my sides. Today I would let Edward make his own restrictions without a word of complaint.

Suddenly, before I had time to hear the ringtone, he had his tiny, silver mobile pressed to his ear.

"Alice," he greeted, grinning his lopsided smile down at me. I watched hollowly as his expression changed, first to surprise and confusion, then to horror and disgust.

I felt my insides freeze. Something was wrong.


	2. Chapter 2 Close to Home

**Chapter Two of our new story.**

**Please review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight. It belongs to Stephenie Meyer :)**

**Chapter 2 – Close to Home**

**BPOV**

His finger pressed down hard on the hang-up botton. His knuckles were white, and his hands shook from the strain of holding onto the tiny silver phone without breaking it.

"Edward," I squeaked, frightened by his stillness – a sign of stress – and the way his skin seemed to be even paler than usual. His lips formed a hard, straight line, and I longed to reach out and smooth the worry lines on his marble forehead.

"Edward," I repeated, with more force this time. Something was wrong, and I needed to know what it was. I tried to be strong, though my heart beat fast in my chest, clattering inside my rib cage. I reached out my shaking fingers to touch his face. He closed his eyes under my hand, and began to massage his temples with his long fingers.

"Edward. What. Has. Happened?" I enunciated each sylable, and he opened his eyes. My eyes bored into his, willing him to tell me the truth, without trying to protect my feeling, or my fragily human reactions. "Tell me." I tried to sound strong, but the words seemed feeble even to me, what with the supressed fear evident in my voice, which was rapidy rising to hysteria.

He remained silent for a moment, before putting on a blank expression, hiding behind a wall in his mind. "I don't know," he said, faking calmness, though I could see just a hint of urgency in his eyes, escaping his careful mask. "I have to go."

"'Kay, I'm coming too." I leaned on my elbows, trying to get up, though I shook with terror. I wanted to be with my family. To help, somehow. But Edward pushed me back down onto the bed, effortlessly.

"No. Stay here," he muttered, his eyes, fierce and cold, flashing dangerously. I opened my mouth to protest, but he pressed a cold finger to my lips.

"Bella, please," he said, his eyes smouldering at me from behind a curtain of eyelashes. Strange how my heart could flutter and skip a beat at a time like this. All of my arguments died on my tongue. I forgot what I was even objecting to. How frustrating.

He kissed me swiftly, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand on end. It was a rough, urgent kiss, his lips hard on mine, full of longing and desperation. I tried not to think of the times when I had felt a kiss like this, times when it seemed that Edward and I would not meet again.

My eyes shut automatically, wanting our kiss to last forever, certain that our perfect world was about to be changed. I lifted my arms to entwine my fingers in his hair, to try to bring him closer to me, but when I unwillingly opened my eyes, he was gone.

I knew it was useless, but I tried to follow him. I rushed down the stairs, my hand trailing along the bannister, as fast as I could without stumbling and tripping. Edward would _not _be happy if I hurt myself at a time like this.

I never felt comfortable without Edward. I was constantly worried that he would leave me again, even after all this time, and I couldn't stand to relive those months I had without him. It wasn't that I thought he didn't love me, there was just always a relentless fear inside of me that Edward – or any of my vampires – would get hurt, and I'd be left alone, defenceless and pathetic, a clumsy human girl in a world of mythical creatures.

I crossed my arms tightly as the long-healed rip in my heart smarted around the edges. What if he didn't come back?

I wondered why he had been in such a hurry. Did we have a new enemy? There was no reason to worry about Victoria anymore, though I still had the occasional dream of flames dancing on water, and her determined gaze as she tried to put an end to my life. But I knew these were just silly nightmares, and Edward would always comfort me when I woke screaming or crying. Victoria was out of my life for good – Edward had seen to that.

And yet, foolishly, I had believed that our troubles were over now. I believed that we now had this time together, if only for a few months, until after our wedding when I would be changed into a vampire like _him. _I felt cheated, angry that our harmony had been taken away so quickly.

But what if there was someone else, a new villain waiting, someone even stronger and deadlier than the strange, feline Victoria?

Maybe the Volturi had decided it was time to intercede, to check up. I trembled as I pictured the cold, yet childlike face of Jane. Was she here?

Maybe there was something wrong with the werewolves. _My_ werewolves. Maybe they were in great danger and the Cullens had thought it their duty to help, after their unwilling comradeship against the newborns. What if someone was hurt? What if it was...? No, I couldn't bare to think of it.

As I went outside, I saw that Edward's Volvo was gone. So, it was so urgent that running wasn't fast enough, that he had to drive. I could imagine him now, swerving around street corners, paying no attention to red lights and road signs. That was one journey I wouldn't enjoy.

After a small pause, I jumped – well, fell – into my truck, and forced the keys into the ignition. I couldn't stay in this house on my own, with no Cullens to lighten it up. I would go crazy if I had to spend time there alone, jumping at the smallest of sounds, peering out the window for a glimpse of my family. I wanted to go _home_.

I willed my car forward, my hands trembling on the steering wheel. The journey was uneventful, except for my restlessness, and jumpiness. I turned on my new radio, choosing a radio station with loud, screechy music. I couldn't understand the words properly, but tried my best to make them out, trying to take my mind off of the unknown problems which were going on.

When I pulled up by my home, the first thing I noticed were the cars. There were three of them. Charlies police cruiser, a black, sleek mercedes and a... a shiny, silver Volvo.

The problem was much closer to home than I had ever imagined.


End file.
